The present invention relates broadly to a blocking member for holding a gas pump valve open and in particular to a gas pump lever blocking members wherein the pump valve can be held open in a plurality of positions corresponding to various rates of flow through the pump.
Conventional prior art gas pumps include a nozzle with a housing in which is mounted a valve apparatus for regulating the flow of fuel through the nozzle. The nozzle is provided with a manually operable lever whereby the valve apparatus can be opened to permit the discharge of fuel from the nozzle. The lever is normally biased, for example, by a spring means, to a position wherein the valve apparatus is closed. Typically, prior art nozzles also include an automatic closing device such that fuel flow through the nozzle will be terminated when the tank is filled thereby preventing fuel overflow and spillage. Such automatic closure apparatus is typically independent of the manual operation of the lever. Additionally, some gas pump nozzles are provided with a means attached thereto to hold the lever in the open position against the biasing force that tends to close the valve. Such means typically is a bar mounted to the nozzle with several notches therein in which is received the end of the lever. Another prior art lever retention means is a stop pivotally attached to the lever for engagement with a plurality of stop surfaces on the guard or handle surrounding the lever.
Some gas pump nozzles are not provided with any means for retaining the lever in the open position. Additionally, in self-service gas station operations, it is not uncommon for the station owner to simply remove the lever retention means from the nozzle. Thus, the vehicle owner utilizing the self-service station finds that he must continually apply manual pressure to the lever to hold the nozzle open until the gas tank is filled.
Additionally, it is not uncommon for the lever to simply slip out of the prior art retention means thereby closing the fuel valve and shutting off fuel flow. Under continued use for extended lengths of time due to mechanical wear and tear the prior art retention means become less and less effective. When the lever does in fact slip from the grasp of the prior art retention means it is a nuisance to the gas station attendant or operator who at the time may be performing other maintenance functions concerning the vehicle.
It is desirable, therefore, to have a device that holds the gas pump nozzle open so that the vehicle operator or station attendant can perform other tasks, such as checking the oil level of the vehicle, et cetera. It is also desirable to have such a blocking member device that can be conveniently carried by an individual vehicle operator.
The present invention provides these desirable features in that it is a gas pump lever blocking member that positively retains the lever in the open position against a closing biasing force. The blocking member of the present invention is designed so that it can be positioned to hold the lever open in a plurality of different positions corresponding to varying rates of fuel flow through the gas pump nozzle. Although the present invention can be utilized by the station attendant to eliminate the problems associated with the prior art retention means discussed above, it is particularly useful to the individual motor vehicle operator and can be easily carried in the vehicle and made readily accessible for use thereof.